Remnants of Beacon
by DirusNarmo
Summary: The younger girl had calmed down. Her expression was no longer one of anger, it was one of determination. "We're going to find who killed Yang." Remnants of Beacon is a story of an energetic kid, a tsundere-heiress, an ardent gladiator, as well as a quiet cat faunus, and their quest for redemption, revenge, and freedom.
1. What is Right?

**Quick A/N**

 **this is set in an AU, and you will pick up the differences quite soon. Some other stuff about the AU is located in an Authors Note in Chap 2.**

 **I do not own the cover image, it belongs to ElectroKineticArtest on DeviantArt ( art/Ruby-Rose-Headphones-RWBY-388854919)**

 **Enjoy Reading!**

* * *

There once was a world known as Remnant.

In Remnant, there were four Kingdoms. Vacuo, Mistral, Atlas, and Vale. These four Kingdoms served as protection from the creatures of Grimm, nightmarish creations with no soul, who strive for nothing but the blood of the free races of Remnant.

In the Kingdom of Vale, there was a city of Vale, ruled over by a Queen of Vale. And next to this city of Vale, there is a forest of, you guessed it, Vale.

It is here that we begin our story.

A flash of red, or perhaps black, and that's all you see. Ruby Rose, Huntress-in-training and the youngest Huntress to be accepted to Vale's school of Hunters and Huntresses, was very, _very_ , fast.

Perhaps too much so.

"Ruby! You're going too quickly - you and the target are nearing the edge of the range of my telepathy." Glynda's voice spoke, a not-so-welcome difference from Ruby's usual Spotter, Nora Valkyrie. Nora was sadly hospitalized and not fit for spotting, so Ruby's instructor, Glynda, had to step in.

A "spotter" is the guide of a "Huntress". Spotters were gifted with special abilities to be able to see through the eyes of a willing individual, sense their hosts surroundings, and speak to this host. In special cases, they can even do much more than that. Sadly, there are drawbacks - a spotter can mean disorientation to the Huntress, and it can leave both the spotter and it's host extremely drained after the telepathy ends or when the host runs too far from the spotter, thus ending the telepathy. However, the advantages are great. Spotters, using their ability to sense their host's surroundings, were incredibly useful in gaging situations and improving combat performance by sending incredible amounts of information to their host. When the host and spotter were not compatible, though, the effects were lessened somewhat.

"That's even more reason to run fast, Glynda," Ruby reasoned, speaking aloud. "Besides, this target is priority-one, right? If I don't catch him - or her, I guess - I'm out of the school." Sure, it was dangerous to talk back to a teacher but she would much rather face the consequences of that rather than break her streak of successfully recovered targets.

Ruby could only hear what Glynda wanted to transmit into her mind, but she could've sworn that she heard a sigh. "..fine. I presume you are familiar with the fatigue that you will have to endure after the link breaks?" Glynda was strict, but she wasn't mean. She understood better than anyone what would happen if the target wasn't recovered.

"Yeah!" Ruby lied. _It can't be that bad, right?_ "Warn me, though." Ruby was already somewhat fatigued - this target was by far the fastest she had ever had to chase, forcing her to exert her semblance to even larger limits. Why she was sent, instead of a senior Hunter or Huntress? This question remains to be answered.

"Three.." Glynda began, sending as much information about the target as she could before the link broke. "Two.."

Ruby braced herself, slowing her speed momentarily so she was ready for the break. _Eh, it'll be fine._ Huntresses and Hunters in training were required only to break their link while either asleep or fully rested. In those cases, Ruby didn't feel much. During a chase? _Easy as eating a piece of cake._

"One."

Ruby didn't like cake very much.

Black spots swam in her vision as she stumbled, praying thanks that her aura had protected her legs from this immediate deceleration. It was like being punched in the stomach fifteen times after being drugged with some sort of sleeping pill. The Huntress-in-training doubled over, promptly hitting her head on a tree and stumbling a few more feet in that same direction, barely managing to not fall over and pass out.

Until her feet met nothing, and she was falling.

On a normal day, this would not be an issue. She'd use her aura to shield herself from the impact, maybe walk out with a bruised knee, and continue chasing. This was not a normal day. This was a two hundred meter cliff, and she didn't have enough energy to tie a shoe, much less break her own fall.

Ruby's tired mind raced through possible solutions, and cursing herself for stupidity. _I should've just sat down! That's basically the easiest thing in the world to do! I should've rested for maybe a minute and continued chasing, but nooo, I had to continue running. Now I'm dead, and all that's going to be left is a red blob with a cape on top, and people are going to point at it and be like "Yep, that's Ruby Rose, she fell of a cliff and died! Don't do drugs kids!" And that's_ if _they find me! Is it going to hurt? I hope it doesn't hurt. End my life quickly, whatever god is out there. I wonder how far I've fallen? Am.. am I falling?_

Ruby cracked open an eye, seeing the ground a few feet below her. She wasn't falling. She was.. floating? It was really comfortable, actually. Like laying on a feathery bed.

"..And here I was, _so_ worried about who they're going to send after me. But no, apparently my father decides "yep, let's send this fourteen year old kid with a pinecone for a brain". And somehow, that's worked better than whatever else they could send, because I _had_ to come back and help you. You stupid.. dolt!"

The voice sounded female, and ended with a huff as well as what sounded like someone kicking the ground.

"Fifteen.." Ruby mumbled.

" _ **What?**_ " The voice responded.

"I'm not fourteen. I'm fifteen." Ruby says back, a little louder. _I think this is my target. If I can keep her distracted while I regain my strength... my life may not be ruined after all._

 _Well.. she did just save me, though. Maybe.._

 _No! Becoming a Huntress is my dream - I can't give up now!_

"Oh, 'cause _that_ makes a difference. You're still young, and that was my point. Young - and inexperienced."

"Fifteen and a half, if that helps my case."

The voice let out an angry sigh. " _Fine!_ Just inexperienced, then, if you care so much."

There was a few seconds of silence as Ruby was lowered to the ground, nearly causing her to groan because of how uncomfortable it was compared to the cushion of air holding her up a few moments ago.

Ruby struggled to get up, only to be pushed back down. It was soft, though. Not like a shove.

"Ah-ah-ah. You must be worth something, if they sent you instead of a more experienced Huntress. I'm going to use you as a bargaining chip, since there's no way I'm going to be able to run after spending all my energy. Even if I was fully rested, there's no running at this point. If I can't leave stealthily, I can't leave at all. May as well turn myself in and wait for another chance, if using you doesn't work."

"You're a priority one target.. Do you really think using me is going to work? And can I at least sit up?"

 _On second thought, I probably shouldn't encourage her to leave me here._

"No, and yes."

Ruby sits up, blinking a few times and looking up to the figure.

 _She seems young, like me. Sixteen? Seventeen, maybe?_

The girl was entirely clad in white, her clothes remarkably unscathed even though she had just been running for the past half hour. She also didn't seem that much worse for wear in regards to her energy, though she said that she was nearly out of aura. The most notable feature about her were her piercing blue eyes, searching every inch of Ruby's body.

Ruby, for some reason, felt woefully inadequate next to her. It almost felt like the other girl was exerting some sort of aura of.. superiority.

They stared at eachother for a good minute until Ruby was overcome with awkwardness. She looks away, towards the ground.

"So.. I'm Ruby.."

"Weiss." Weiss says curtly, tapping her foot on the mossy ground. While the forest of Vale was by no means jungle-like, it was rather grassy and had many trees, like a stereotypical forest. This particular area, though, held many more trees, nearly enough to completely block out the sun above, sunlight only showing through in mottled patches. It was actually rather calming. If Ruby and Weiss were here in different circumstances.. well, their meeting would be a lot less tense. "So.. you're young. Is the Huntress school taking in children these days?"

Ruby tried her best not to feel insulted. Though, the comment only made her feel smaller next to Weiss. _She's so brave. Does she know that she's going to get captured and tortured, if not worse?_ "No, I'm just kinda.." Ruby attempts and fails to find a way to put it that won't make her sound like a narcissist. "Good at it."

"Good at hunting people. At fifteen."

"And a half!" Ruby protests, grasping at straws to defend herself against how inadequate she felt.

"Ruby, what do the Huntresses do?" _Shouldn't she know that? Everyone does._

"We're the Kingdom's special forces. We use our strengths to hunt down the nation's enemies and perform reconnaissance." Ruby responds.

"What if it wasn't like that? What if Hunters and Huntresses used their strengths to _help_ people, to protect humanity - and the faunus, sure - instead of fight amongst themselves?"

"But we do help!"

"From your perspective, sure. But imagine what the people you're hunting down are thinking - they think that what they are doing is right. And you're stopping them from doing that. If a Hunter or Huntress from another nation captured you, they would be "helping" their own nation. But from your view, they'd be an enemy. What if, instead, we all helped each other, against the common enemy - the Grimm."

After a calm conversation, Ruby was left wondering why this girl was priority one as a target. Now she had her answer - a political radicalist. After the Great War, Vale was left in quite a political turmoil. Since it was still so fragile, radicalists were often "silenced" as quick as possible.

It's not that Ruby necessarily disagreed or agreed, it's just that.. She didn't want to have to choose. She wanted to help her kingdom, and to do that..

The Huntress-in-training grabs her Nullifier, flaring the last of her energy into her semblance to stab it into Weiss's leg, the two-pronged tip puncturing skin. The Nullifier was a tool that if applied, will prevent the usage of aura and also paralyze weaker or tired out targets after a few seconds. Ruby hoped that Weiss was one of the two.

Weiss's eyes widened as she was stabbed, caught off guard by Ruby's attack and internally cursing herself that it happened. _I thought she wasn't like the others. I made a mistake._

"I.. I trusted you!" Weiss spat. "I saved your _life_! And this is how you repay me? I.. you.." Weiss slumps forward onto Ruby, who catches her and slowly lowers her to the ground.

For the first time after a chase, Ruby felt regret.

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

"Ruby, are you okay?" Pyrrha spoke, looking with concern towards the young huntress-in-training. Pyrrha was the de-facto leader of the group of five - well, four. Yang was currently out on a mission, as she has been for the last few days. Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, both also training as hunters/huntresses and spotters, had their own reasons for not taking the role of leader, and Ruby herself felt that she was too young to assert herself properly. Yang was _very_ assertive, and definitely shared some of the leadership and maternal qualities that Pyrrha had, but she lacked the aura of quiet confidence that Pyrrha seemed to exert.

Ruby picked at her food, not feeling particularly hungry. She also didn't feel like responding. In fact, the only thing that she felt like doing was marching up to her room and sleeping.

The group of five shared a common house. It was rather large, with a common area, a kitchen, five medium-sized bedrooms, and even a basement (Ruby refused to go down there after the rat incident) and served as a living area for the group for the last three months. They had all been accepted at the same time, and various common interests and shared personality traits had brought the group together quickly after training started. _It's like a second family,_ Ruby had once thought.

"You haven't been eating or sleeping well," Pyrrha continued, clasping her hand over Ruby's, "I'm worried about you. We all are."

Ruby was not exactly sure how to respond. She wasn't one for lashing out, and she _wanted_ to talk, she really did. But how could she even start?

 _I wish Yang were here. Pyrrha's nice, and she tries to help.. but she's not my sister._

"I'm sorry that I can't help, and that I don't know what to say. Whatever you're going through, if there's anything I can -"

Pyrrha was cut off as Ruby started talking.

"It's okay, Pyrrha. I'm fine. Just.. a rough assignment."

"Rough assignment?" Pyrrha's face dawned with comprehension. "Do you mean, the priority-one a few days ago?"

It was generally taboo to talk about a past assignment in the world of Hunters and Huntresses, but between friends, it's usually shared anyway.

"I... Pyrrha, do you ever feel bad for the people we hunt?" Ruby asked, looking up at the red haired girl.

"Yes - it's completely normal, Ruby. But.. you need to keep in mind, they aren't like us. We hunt for a reason - to protect the greater good, and to save lives. The people we hunt are.." Pyrrha searches for a good way to put it. "Evil."

"From our perspective, sure." Ruby snaps back, almost immediately. She was taken aback by the speed of her response, as was Pyrrha. _It's like I'm repeating Weiss. Is that good? Bad? Am I being mind controlled?_ "We think those people are evil, but from their view, we are evil. So who's right?"

"The person who is right is the person saving lives, Ruby. Us." Pyrrha says firmly. "Ruby, where are you getting this? Who did you hunt?"

"How do we know we're even saving lives?" Ruby ignores the questions, "We're never told the big picture, Pyrrha. All we're told is the appearance and abilities of our target and to hunt them. We aren't told _any_ of the details. So how do we know we're right?"

"We know we're right because Vale still stands strong today. Without the Hunters and Huntresses, surely it would have fallen."

"And who tells you the state that Vale is in? The same people that make us hunt, Pyrrha. The same people that force us. Are we heroes keeping peace, or are we weapons of war, pointed at the enemies of Vale so someone else can claim a victory?" Ruby's voice has been raising this whole time, from her usual soft voice to what's near a shout.

"Ruby." Pyrrha stands up. "I'm not agreeing or disagreeing, nor am I discussing this matter at all any more. What I _am_ going to say is this - you're my friend. I trust that whatever you're doing, you think is right. However, others will not share the same view. So whatever you're thinking about doing.." Pyrrha's face softens, "please, stay safe. For me, for Yang.. and for yourself."

"I'm not thinking about doing anything, I jus-" Pyrrha shushes Ruby, holding up a finger to indicate silence.

"Someone's coming."

"Nora and Ren?" Ruby guesses. The duo had been out today, something about trying all the pancake shops in Vale.

"They're supposed to be gone for another two hours. Besides, it's only one pair of footsteps."

The house that the group shared was not in Vale - it was directly adjacent, bordering the forest of Vale. Thus, footsteps were not something heard every day, as missions were granted inside Vale. Someone coming to the house means something important.

"I'll answer the door." Says Pyrrha, walking up to the doorway. After she was a few feet from the door, three loud knocks were heard. Pyrrha opens the door, seeing a "runner", or a courier sent by the Huntress Academy.

"I have a message for Ms. Ruby Rose - is she here?"

Runners meant bad news. They meant very, very bad news.

"Uh.. yeah?" Ruby appears from behind Pyrrha, and is handed a sheet of paper from the runner. "T-thank you?"

The runner simply nodded, turned around, and began to walk away. Pyrrha closes the door, then turns to Ruby, a worried look on both the girls' faces.

"What is it?" Pyrrha asks.

Ruby looks at the letter and begins to read aloud.

 _"Ms. Ruby Rose,_

 _I am deeply sorrowful to inform you that this day, at 6:32am, Yang Xiao Long was reported dead in the field on a reconnaissance assignment in a terrorist organization in the West of the Kingdom of Mistral._

 _My deepest condolences for your loss,_

 _Signed,_

 _Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai, Huntmaster and Huntmistress of the Vale Huntress Academy"_


	2. Awake

**A/N**

 **I've decided that this is going to be updated on Fridays. Not necessarily every Friday, just when it does get an update, it's going to be on a Friday.**

 **Also, I have decided on some goals for this story -**

 **1\. Complete it.**

 **2\. Be mentioned favorably on RWBY's weekly Fanfiction Friday (by someone who isn't me, of course!)**

 **3\. And lastly, for this to be a story that I am proud of.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Empty.

An empty heart, an empty soul. But the one thing Ruby Rose could not keep empty was her mind.

 _It'smyfaultit'smyfaultit'smyfaultit'smyfaultit'smyfaultit'smyfault_

Yang had never wanted to be a Huntress. In fact, Yang had always wanted to be an explorer - there are vast stretches of land, particularly between Vacuo and Vale, that are unexplored and unmapped due to dense Grimm population. She didn't necessarily _not_ want to be a Huntress, but family history suggested that it was definitely _not_ the smartest or safest career choice.

But when young Ruby had walked in the door one day, eyes shining, with plans to be a Huntress like her uncle, her father, her mother, and _Yang's_ mother..

Well, family has to stick together.

Yang had promptly set her goal to further her sister's dream - eventually enrolling them both in the Vale Huntress Academy, working hard to excel in her duties and taking on much more work than required, all for Ruby.

 _And now she's gone._

"Yang.."

Even her name sounded empty, meaningless, _gone._ A name that was once shouted with happiness joy is now uttered with hopelessness and despair.

"Ruby?"

Ruby was slumped against the wall next to the doorway in her room, and had been this way for nearly an hour. At first it was shock, denial. _She can't be dead?_ Then came the pain, the guilt. Now..

"Ruby, I'm coming in there. Is that okay?"

 _No. It isn't._

The door opened, and Pyrrha walked into the room, taking only a moment before finding where Ruby was sitting.

 _Leave me alone._

"I'm.. I don't know how to say this, but.." Pyrrha looked at Ruby, who stubbornly kept looking at her lap.

"Yang wouldn't want this, Ruby."

Ruby's head looked up at Pyrrha, her eyes ablaze with anger.

"Really? Yang wouldn't have wanted to die? _Where'd you get that idea, Pyrrha?_ " The last word was uttered like a curse, striking at the red haired Huntress.

"That's not what I mean, and you know it. Look at yourself, Ruby. You've been like this for two days now. You've refused to talk to me until now, too." Pyrrha's voice remained calm, almost soothing. She gestures to Ruby, then sits down in front of the younger girl. "You need to stay determined."

"Determined for _what_ , Pyrrha?" Ruby threw her arms up in the air. "Being a Huntress? You can't actually think that I'm going to still do this."

"Ruby, but being a Huntress is your _dream._ You can't give up now, not after Yang sacrificed so much -"

"Yang sacrificed so much? _Everyone_ sacrificed so much. My mom, Yang's mom, my dad - dead! Even my Uncle Qrow has gone through so much that he can't even talk to people without having a drink first. I think it's time someone finally takes a hint."

"Ruby, I-"

"Why would I even want to _be_ a Huntress, Pyrrha. It's an empty dream. All being a Huntress means is being a pet of someone in the government."

After Ruby was finished with her outburst, the two looked at eachother for a few seconds. Ruby had a look of anger on her face, contrasted by her tear-ridden cheeks. Pyrrha's was one of extreme calm and compassion - perhaps pity?

"So what are you going to do?" Pyrrha spoke, breaking the silence.

"Pyrrha."

"Yes?"

"You're my friend, right?"

"Of course, Ruby."

"Would you help me do anything, Pyrrha?"

The older girl had a sinking sensation in her stomach when she realized what Ruby was getting to.

"Yes." The red-haired girl said, nearly whispered. Pyrrha looked down, away from Ruby.

"Pyrrha?"

The older girl took a deep breath, looking up back into Ruby's eyes. The younger girl had calmed down. Her expression was no longer one of anger, it was one of determination, one of acceptance.

"We're going to find who killed Yang."

"Alright." Pyrrha took another deep, shaky breath, standing up and gesturing for Ruby to follow. Serious business shouldn't be done in a dark bedroom.

"Any ideas? Ideas that do not involve contacting the head Huntresses and Hunters, I mean." Ruby stood and followed, her inner emotions in turmoil, but forced down by the young girl. _Later. I can deal with them later._

Pyrrha was.. taken off guard by Ruby's change of mood. The other girl was young, sure, and seemingly naive and innocent.. but she had a strength of soul that Pyrrha had never seen in another human.

"Ruby, when you were talking to me last night, and I asked where you were getting it from.." Pyrrha pauses, hoping Ruby gets what she's saying.

"Weiss!" Ruby's eyes light up, and for the first time in a while, Pyrrha saw brief joy in the younger girl's eyes. "But she was a priority-one, so she's in high security prison.."

Ruby bites her lip. _Not only is she in high security prison, I'm not sure if she can even help us.._

Pyrrha smiles. "Don't worry. We're on a project for the academy, right?"

* * *

"Project for the academy?" The guard to the high-security part of the prison eyed the two girls suspiciously. Pyrrha and Ruby had no trouble entering the regular wing of the prison, as they were still technically Huntresses-in-training.

"Yep!" Said Pyrrha enthusiastically. "We need to interr-ahem, talk to the prisoner in cell W-17, please!" The slip in her speech was purposeful, and helped their case - if the guard thought that the two were going to interrogate a prisoner, it made sense for a project for the academy. This was one of the things a Hunter or Huntress needed to learn, after all.

 _Pyrrha's good at this._ Thinks Ruby. _It's weird to see someone who's usually so rule-abiding be so good at disobeying them, too._

The guard sighed. "Alright," He opens the door separating the two areas of the prison. "Don't get in trouble, you two."

Pyrrha smiles, inclining her head in thanks, and walks through the door. Ruby follows closely, and the two barely make a noise until the door closes.

"That.. was.. so.. cool!" Ruby fistpumps the air. It felt good to finally be making some progress.

"Don't get too excited. Remember what we're here for." Pyrrha reminds the younger girl.

Ruby remembers, and looks at the floor. She had forgotten, for a moment, why they were doing all this, lost in the feeling of having fun with a friend. "..Right." She says bitterly, her sadness returning.

Pyrrha feels bad for reminding her, but it was necessary - an excited Ruby could very easily cause suspicion. Nobody _liked_ being in jail, prisoner or not.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Before their arrival to the jail, Pyrrha had memorized their path, so it was very quick to reach W-block, the block that Weiss was in.

"W-17, right?" Confirms Pyrrha. Ruby had collected her mission evaluation while Pyrrha was getting a map of the jail, and found where Weiss was located on there.

"W-what?" Ruby glances up, shaking her head to clear it. "Y-yeah, W-17."

They walk in silence for another few seconds, then Pyrrha stops. "We're here."

The jail was quite modern, in contrast to the stereotypical vision of iron bars and stone of a jail. The jail was.. More like a hospital, actually. It was mostly white, the walls metallic and uniform. Lighting came from various wall-mounted lamps, and the doors to the cells were gray, still made out of a metallic substance. They were mostly featureless except for the round doorknob.

The cells were made of a two-part system to keep prisoners in. The actual door from the hallway lead to a featureless room, almost like an airlock, that required the door from the hallway to be closed before you could continue into the main part of the cell. On top of that, prisoners were equipped with a collar that would shock them unconscious if they tried to enter the airlock room, or if they touched another person.

Even if someone tried to bust someone out, the prisoners were also implanted with tracking devices in their left forearm, and the entire area of the jail was layered in security cameras.

All of these things came together to make Ruby and Pyrrha's job very, very difficult.

They did have some things as an advantage, however. High-security cells did not have security cameras in the actual cell rooms. This was because high-security prisoners generally didn't actually commit conventional crimes such as robbery or murder. Instead, they were people who possessed valuable information. This makes sense in Weiss's case, as generally political radicalists were people that possessed enough information or power to actually make a difference with their views. The lack of security cameras was because you didn't want that information to be stored on an electronic device or on a cloud, where it was much more likely to be stolen or leaked.

Pyrrha goes first, as usual, opening the door. The door closes automatically after the two enter the airlock room, and Pyrrha takes a deep breath.

"You're okay with doing the talking here, Ruby?" She says in a concerned voice. Ruby had been quite distant for the last fifteen minutes or so.

"I'm fine." Ruby replies.

 _Is she gonna be mad at me? Stupid question - of_ course _she's going to be mad at me! I put her in jail for goodness sake - besides, she didn't seem that happy when I knocked her out, either. I think she actually trusted me for a little bit before I did that. Ugh, now I feel worse.._

 _Okay! Ruby! Concentrate! Don't overthink things! Just go in there, and say hi! Start off with a good first impression! Be confident!_

Ruby takes a deep, shaky breath, and opens the door.

She was immediately face to face with a very, _very_ angry female.

" _ **YOU!**_ " Weiss shouted, already standing right in front of the door.

"OhgodI'msosorrypleasedon'thurtme!" Ruby takes a step backwards, right into Pyrrha. Pyrrha pushes her forwards again, putting a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

Ruby was.. intimidated. For some reason, this girl - who, from Pyrrha's perspective, didn't even seem fear-inducing in the slightest - scared Ruby. Weiss was maybe 5'3", though probably shorter than the 5-foot-tall Ruby without her heels, her voice was high-pitched and thin, and her face pale and drawn. Jail wasn't treating her well, apparently.

"You're fine, hmm?" The taller girl questioned. She seemed more amused than anything. "Also, hello!"

"I thought I was! Easier said than done, I guess.." Ruby mumbles, staring at Weiss. She seemed quite encaptured with the girl, despite Ruby herself being intimidated.

Weiss ignores Pyrrha's earlier greeting. " _You_ were the girl who sedated me when I quite _obviously_ was going to go peacefully. Do you have _any_ idea of the long-term effects of Nullifiers on my health? Not to mention that it hurt like a.."

"N-not really.. I'm sorry, it's protocol! Really!" Ruby hangs her head, looking at the ground while talking to Weiss.

"Argh!" Weiss stomps the ground, "You.. dunce!" With a huff of anger, the white-clothed girl threw her hands in the air, turning around and walking farther into her cell.

The insult wasn't that harsh, but Weiss made it sound that way. Ruby seemed like the only thing keeping her in this room was Pyrrha's hand on her shoulder.

The cell was made of the same decor as the hallways - a door was in the opposite side of the room of the entrance, presumably to a restroom of some sort. There was a cot in the corner and a table along with four chairs in the middle. It wasn't cramped, but it certainly wasn't a palace either.

Weiss turns around. She looked calmer now, and didn't continue shouting at Ruby. "Why are you here?" She asks bluntly.

Ruby and Pyrrha glance at eachother, and Pyrrha nods reassuringly. The two walk into the room with Weiss.

"Weiss, when you were talking to me.."

Weiss taps her foot impatiently. _Why? She's got nothing better to do.._ Ruby thought.

"Did you truly believe in all that you were saying?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. " _No,_ not at all." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Weiss sits down, evidently prepared for a long conversation.

Ruby looked confused, and sad. "W-what? Why'd you give me a speech on it, then..?" She, apparently, did not catch Weiss's tone. The two friends sit opposite Weiss, and continue the conversation after an awkward silence.

Pyrrha nudged her, "Ruby, she's being facetious."

The younger girl made an "o" with her mouth, nodding. "So.. a yes, then?"

 _That was obvious! Why can't I think clearly near Weiss? She.. intimidates me too much! That's it!_

Weiss sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose with an arm propped up on the table. "That's a yes. What of it?"

Ruby was too busy staring at Weiss to respond, so Pyrrha took the lead.

"So.. in effect, you're opposed to the government and its practices?"

"Naturally." Replied Weiss, disdainfully inspecting her nails. Which have probably seen better days - she probably doesn't get manicures in jail.

"If, hypothetically, there is a group working against the government to accomplish its goals, and during it doing so there's an opportunity for you to further your own views, would you join the group?" Pyrrha said, hoping Weiss gets the point.

"Sure, I'll help you guys, on a few conditions." She did get the point, a little too well.

Ruby, sensing that the white-haired girl would join them and the conversation was over, gave a joyful whoop.

Pyrrha, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes. "What conditions?"

"After I'm done helping you guys do.. whatever you are doing, I get helped doing _whatever_ I want done. A favor for a favor." Weiss says.

The emphasis on "whatever" made Pyrrha uneasy. "And what do you want done?"

Weiss smiled ominously. "You'll certainly find out. Is it a deal?"

Pyrrha sighed. "Ruby?"

Ruby tore her eyes away from Weiss for a second, glancing up at Pyrrha. "Wh-wha? Yes?"

"She'd love to have you on board." Translated Pyrrha, a warm smile on her face.

 _While I get she was being sarcastic, Ruby_ was _staring at me a lot.. maybe she's tired? Distracted? Ugh, Oum only knows what's going on in that girl's head._

"Okay! Now that we're partners, allow me to introduce myself. I am Weiss Schnee, Heiress to Schnee Dust Company." Weiss smiles - her first genuine smile Ruby and Pyrrha had seen - and extends her hand, then pulls it back. "I would shake your hand, but.."

Ruby smiles. "That's okay. Anyway, hi! I'm Ruby! Nice to finally meet you properly!"

Weiss snorts at Ruby's eagerness. _Dunce._ "And this is.." She motions to Pyrrha.

"Oh! This is Pyrrha Nikos - she's one of the best fighters at her age in the kingdom!"

Pyrrha smiles warmly, waving. "Hello again!"

Weiss nods. "And lastly, what exactly are we fighting for?"

Ruby glances to the side. "..uhm.." She swallows uneasily, not sure how to respond. The event was still fresh in her mind.

"We'd prefer to keep that private, for now." Pyrrha wraps an arm around Ruby, making sure to reassure her that everything was fine. Ruby snuggled gratefully into Pyrrha's embrace, thankful for the reassurance.

 _Are they sisters?_ Weiss wonders observing the scene. Both the girls shared an affinity for the color red, what with Pyrrha's hair and Ruby's outfit and highlights. Pyrrha also seemed to be quite big-sisterly. _Almost reminds me of Winter, when we were young. I wonder if I was as cute as Ruby is.._

 _Woah. Where'd that come from? Concentrate, Weiss. You have a job to do._

"Fair enough, for now at least." Weiss says with a shrug, managing to keep the blush off her face.. "Alright then, onto-"

Ruby finally cuts into the conversation. "Wait, Weiss.." The white-haired girl stops talking. "Are you.. still mad at me? I mean, I kinda _did_ Nullify you and all.."

 _So naive. A little bit like me, actually. At least, before.. that incident._

"The end result was the same, whether you Nullified me or not. And although I am a bit... angry, that can wait for now, when we talk in more detail. Because, in case you haven't noticed.." Weiss gestures to the jail around her. "I _am_ in jail. Which is why our first order of business.."

"Is to break you out." Pyrrha finishes, grimacing.

 _I wish we'd thought ahead a little bit more._

* * *

 **3 notes about this AU**

 **1\. Taiyang is dead, missing on the same mission Summer went on.**

 **2\. Ruby is a lot more mature, due to having no father. Qrow is a super big alcoholic, also, (more than in canon) so he's not around much either.**

 **3\. No one has their weapons yet. (As in, no Crescent Rose, no Myrtenaster, no Milo and Akouo)**


	3. Jailbreak

It took roughly two days to prepare for the breakout. After a very long conversation with Weiss, (to the point where Ruby fell asleep, drooling on the table) Pyrrha and Ruby were confident they had a plan that would work.

It was a matter of identifying and nullifying the issues, as it is with all plans and products. As far as issues go, there were plenty. The collar, the cameras, (the ones in the hallways, as aforementioned there are no cameras in the high-security cells themselves) the guards, and, of course, the issue of where to go after they left.

Weiss and Pyrrha systematically developed a solution to each issue, and fit them together nicely.

The collars were tough, because even if removed or powered down they'd signal the whole system, thus attracting the guards were tricky because even though Pyrrha, Weiss, and Ruby were all very ready to commit crimes against the government, they didn't actually want to _fight_ anybody, at least for now, and especially not against people who were innocent like prison guards. And, of course, the cameras.

However, all three of these issues are solved by one, deceptively simple, solution.

* * *

"Why don't we just.. power the place down? Sure, it has a backup power supply, but it'd take at least five minutes to reroute the power. With the power out, the cameras don't work, the collars, don't work, and there are no lights, so the guards wouldn't be able to do much either." Pyrrha said with a yawn. After about two hours of mind blowingly inefficient discussion, it seemed like too-good-to-be-true solution.

"It would work.. but can you do it?" Weiss yawned as well.

 _I don't care if I can or can't, Ruby and I will figure it out._ "Sure, yeah.." lied Pyrrha, affectionately rubbing the sleeping Ruby next to her. Weiss's eyes followed her hand.

"So, are you two sisters?" Weiss said, trying to keep the tinge of jealousy out of her voice.

Pyrrha smiled softly, looking at Ruby. "No. I really am flattered that you might think so.. but no. Ruby has - had - a sister, but it's not me."

Weiss opened her mouth to speak, noticing the "had", only to be quickly silenced by Pyrrha. "It's better she tells you herself."

The white-haired girl nods. "Then are you two.. you know.." Weiss blushed, looking to the side.

Pyrrha had the dignity to chuckle, trying to smother it before she waked Ruby. "Dating? Together?" She guessed. "No, we are just friends. I'm affectionate to her because, even though we are not sisters, I do have some.. caring feelings towards her. Truthfully, I've always wanted a little sister.."

Weiss was touched by Pyrrha's tone. It was genuine, as genuine a tone as she's ever heard. From Weiss's perspective, it looks like Ruby's sister had either died, gone missing, been sworn out of the family, or gotten in an argument with Ruby. Nonetheless, Pyrrha has appeared to have stepped in. "Parents?"

"I'm sorry, Weiss. If you wish to know more about Ruby's personal background, she's the one to ask, not me."

 _Well.. I could've been asking about you! I mean, I wasn't.. and we both know that, but.._

Pyrrha yawns again, and Weiss mirrors it.

"I think I need a break." Pyrrha says.

"Agreed. How long until you and Ruby are prepared to break me out?" Asks Weiss.

"Give us two days." Pyrrha taps Ruby, rousing her from her sleep. "You sure you have a place we can stay after we get you out?"

Weiss smiles deviously. "Something like that."

* * *

"You're sure that you're going to be okay?" Ruby asks for the thousandth time.

After Ruby lost one loved one, she wasn't in a hurry to lose a second as well. Ruby had quizzed Pyrrha on the plans what felt like hundreds of times, and vice versa.

They had decided to each take separate jobs. Pyrrha would attack the main circuit breaker, which she would trigger and then overload with electricity from her Nullifier, effectively frying the entire system until backup power was online.

Meanwhile, Ruby would sneak into the facility, utilizing the roughly five minute power outage to grab Weiss and run. With her semblance, it should be a piece of cake.

"Worry about yourself, Ruby. You're being put in far more danger than I am." Pyrrha responds, fastening her night-vision goggles tightly around her head and ensuring her Nullifier was attached to her belt.

The two had also decided to strike at nighttime, giving themselves even more of an advantage. Pyrrha had managed to get two pairs of goggles that could help with seeing in the dark.

Overall, it seemed the odds were in Ruby and Pyrrha's favor.

Then why couldn't Ruby shake the feeling that something was going to go very, very wrong?

The duo had memorized maps of the facility, especially their assigned routes. Pyrrha would barely have to enter the facility, as she was simply heading to the back of it and entering the maintenance facility, which should be unmanned at this hour. And if there was someone after all... well, she _is_ Pyrrha.

Ruby, on the other hand, had a riskier route. She would enter the high-security area directly by using the fire escape door, which would usually set off alarms, but this was luckily disabled due to the power outage. She would then grab Weiss and run, heading through a complicated route of back alleys and unpopulated streets to get back to Ruby and Pyrrha's huntress dorms, which were luckily empty for another three hours.

 _Which means we're going to have maybe two and a half hours to get to wherever Weiss wants us to stay._

 _After that.. we're officially criminals. Nora and Ren will report us as missing, and it won't be long before that's put together with Weiss's disappearance. I thought of that, and left misleading evidence in our dorms. Apparently we're taking her to Vacuo._

 _It's funny.._ Pyrrha thinks. _I should probably be terrified of becoming a criminal. My life is probably ruined if I get recognized internationally. But.. I don't care. I care about Ruby, not Vale. Is this what Yang felt, when she became a Huntress?_

"This is where we split up.." Pyrrha says softly, not quite a whisper but not quite normal, either. The worst thing that could happen now is if this operation stopped before it began.

Instinctively, she wrapped the younger girl in a tight embrace. Ruby returned the hug, and the two stood for a few seconds, finding refuge from the cold in eachother's warmth.

Ruby was the one who let go, taking a step back. She was smiling, and did a mock salute, "Good luck, Pyrrha," before turning around, and sprinting into the darkness.

Pyrrha was left in the darkness, a small smile on her face, before turning around a few moments later and walking her own route.

* * *

 _Really? Rain? Of all times,_ tonight _has to be rainy?_ Ruby thought angrily. She usually liked rain, but the water splattering on the ground and on the roofs of nearby buildings only added to the gloomy atmosphere.

And, in effect, to the nervous feeling in the girl's stomach.

After reaching the fire escape door, which she would enter after Pyrrha gave the signal, Ruby closes her eyes, focusing on her breathing. It was a strategy she had seen Yang use many times to control her emotions, so why shouldn't it work now?

 _I need to calm down! Treat this like a stealth mission, Ruby._

As a Huntress, Ruby had been trained in reconnaissance and stealth extensively. However, that's about all the experience the young girl had ever had - she had never been sent on any stealth missions for one main reason:

She was really, _really_ bad.

It wasn't her fault! Well, kinda. Ruby had always been very fast. She was a fast runner, she learned and applied new practices very quickly, she could think quickly in a tense situation.. however, with all these advantages, there is a drawback - patience. Ruby couldn't sit still for her life. She needed to be doing something - pacing, biting her fingernails, cracking her knuckles, bouncing her leg, even _sleeping_ was better than being forced to sit still for an hour or more.

Yang was very similar to Ruby - she didn't have as many nervous habits, but she prefered punching her problems rather than think on them.

 _She failed her recon classes, like me. So.. why did they send her on a reconnaissance mission?_

Ruby opens her eyes in exasperation. That whole "control your breathing" thing had worked for an entire thirty seconds - which may actually be a new record in terms of remaining still for the young girl - but had failed to hold her over to when Pyrrha finishes her job.

She starts pacing the small area of the fire escape, drumming her fingers on her leg in rhythm to the rain.

 _At least I'm not Weiss._ Ruby shudders at the thought of being cooped in a cell for even a few days, like Weiss had. She had only managed to bear the long hours with Pyrrha and Weiss by sleeping and.. staring. At Weiss. Hey - it worked! Don't judge!

After a few minutes of pacing, a low mechanical sound could be heard, like a thousand computers being powered off at once. It wasn't loud, just.. deep. A few seconds after, Ruby heard a shrill whistle, and she smiles.

Ruby pushes open the door, glancing around with her night vision goggles to check for any guards or other people.

It was dark, completely so. There were no lights, no telltale red "eyes" of cameras, and other than a few shouts from confused guards on different floors, no noise either.

After ensuring there was no one in the immediate vicinity, Ruby breaks into a sprint, flaring her semblance for extra speed.

The prison was large - unnecessarily so - but it was no match for the young girl. After about thirty seconds, she reaches a familiar hallway and slows down, checking around again for people before she continues towards Weiss's cell, a mere fifteen meters away.

Ruby was about to continue, before she heard a noise.

"Let.. me.. go!" Weiss growls, emerging from her cell on the shoulder of what looked like a tall jaguar faunus.

 _I'm lucky he's facing away. With the faunus trait of night vision, he'd have me in no time._

The faunus sneered. "Not today, princess. Your father's paying good money to make sure that you stay nice and cooped up," He begins walking down the hallway, away from Ruby who noticed Weiss's collar was already removed.

Ruby reaches for her Nullifier, pulling it out with a dull snap. She crouches, judging the distance, before jumping and propelling herself towards the man, using her semblance to give herself an extra burst of speed.

The man obviously heard something, beginning to turn around.

He was too late.

Ruby smashed into him, jabbing the Nullifier into his lower ribcage.

The man gasps in shock, letting Weiss fall onto the ground and dropping into a crouch.

He hisses. "You're not taking me down that easily."

He reaches groggily to some sort of gun on his hip, but he was much too slow compared to Ruby.

Ruby stabs him once more, the faint _hiss_ of the Nullifier impacting someone audible for a second time.

The faunus's eyes widen in shock and pain, and he launches himself acrobatically backwards. He was staggeringly agile for a man Nullified twice.

Ruby narrows her eyes, dropping again into a crouch as she had moments before, gathering her energy for another leap.

Briefly, she remembers Professor Goodwitch's words.

 _With every use of the Nullifier onto the same target, it becomes exponentially stronger. One Nullify is usually all a target needs to be unconscious. The stronger ones can stay awake, however, so you may need to use two. Using a third, however.._

Ruby launches herself forwards with her semblance, slamming the large man to the ground.

She grapples with him for a few seconds, finally finding enough purchase on the winded target to stab him with the Nullifier a third time. The faunus's eyes change from anger and pain to fear and panic, and he struggles against Ruby, becoming weaker and weaker.

 _..will kill all but the strongest unshielded target in a matter of seconds._

Ruby gets off the target, once again dropping into a crouch and looking around, adrenaline flowing through her veins.

It was only when she noticed the man's chest laying still, instead of rising and falling with breath, that Glynda's words sink in.

She takes a few shaky steps backward.

 _I.._

 _I killed him.._

The adrenaline dies down, and Ruby stands in shock, her Nullifier clattering to the floor.

"Ruby! We need to go! _Now!_ " Weiss shakes the younger girl's shoulders. Weiss had recovered from her drop on the floor.

" _RUBY!"_

Her voice sounded thin and tinny to Ruby's ears, like watching through a low-quality Scroll or Television. She tried to respond to Weiss's words, but it was like moving and thinking through glue.

 _I'm sorry._

"Ruby!" Weiss slapped the other girl across the cheek. "Move! Now!"

 _I'm a monster._

That seemed to bring Ruby out of her daze. "Y-yeah, I just need a -"

"You will have a second after we're out of here! Move!" Weiss grabbed Ruby's shoulder, pulling her towards where Ruby had come from.

The clattering of footsteps could be heard in the opposite direction, drawn by the commotion in this room.

Ruby finally focuses, her and Weiss's eyes meeting.

"Follow me!" Ruby shouted, grabbing Weiss's arm.

* * *

 _Only thirty seconds until the power is restored._ Pyrrha thinks grimly. _I hope Ruby's okay.._

"Pyrrha!" That was Weiss. The extraction was a success, apparently.

Pyrrha breathes a sigh of relief. "Got it!"

* * *

"Interesting... residence." Weiss murmurs , looking in slight disdain at her messy surroundings.

Ruby was not the neatest person at the best of times. She rarely picked up her own messes, and frequently made them. Usually, Yang or Ren would be the cleaning crew, but Ren was sampling pancakes, and Yang was.. well..

However, the last few days have been hectic, and the place had gotten even messier than usual. Even Pyrrha had been rather disorganised as of late due to recent events.

Maps and papers were strewn about, more on the floor than the tables they belonged to. Remnants of past meals were balancing haphazardly on tables dominated by filing folders and papers.

Of course, a significant amount of the mess was purposefully created by Ruby and Pyrrha as misleading incriminating evidence to throw off the inevitable investigation. They were huntresses, after all, and Vale operated on a "guilty until proven innocent" policy, so it's better to stay safe.

"We're only staying here long enough to pick up our belongings, then we're going to.. wherever your 'friend' is," Pyrrha replies, "who you _still_ haven't told us about." Pyrrha slides up her night-vision goggles onto her forehead, and turns on the lights to the house. She and Ruby both grab duffel bags near the entrance, presumably filled with their important belongings.

"Well, to tell the truth, I've never met her."

Ruby and Pyrrha both stare at Weiss for a few seconds, confusion on their faces.

Weiss smirks, clarifying. "In person, at least. I know she will help, though."

Pyrrha breathes a sigh of relief. "Alright, then. You lead the way, I suppose." She takes off her night vision goggles - it was dawn, so there was enough light to see. "Come on, Ruby."

Ruby nods, pulling up the hood on her jacket and shifting the weight of her duffel bag before walking after the other two out the door.

Pyrrha and Weiss walk side by side, with the younger girl a few feet behind them.

 _Ruby's been acting strangely.._ Pyrrha wonders. _She's barely talked ever since the two got back from the jail._

"What happened?" The taller girl whispers to Weiss.

"What do you mean?" Weiss responds, a little bit too sharply.

"Ruby. She's been acting.." Pyrrha glances behind her. Ruby still had her hood up, and was looking down at the path they were walking on, oblivious to the world. "Strangely."

"Ask her yourself." Weiss replies defensively.

"Weiss.."

The white-haired girl sighs. "She killed some faunus thug. It was life-or-death, and Ruby made the right decision. That's all."

Pyrrha bit her lip. She had seen death, and from Weiss's nonchalant attitude she assumed the other girl had too. It wasn't a matter anyone took lightly, but after a while of being exposed to matters dealing with it, you become desensitized. Death no longer seemed like one person's life, but just another number on an infinitely large sheet of "accidents". But Ruby.. she was too young.

 _I need to talk to her._

"We're here."


End file.
